Damages

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings (Mr. Hayes) of 15 November 2005, Official Report, columns 1077–1078W, on damages, why (a) compensation was paid to pensioners for arrears of payment, (b) interest and a penalty payment was made to the Inland Revenue and (c) compensation was paid to a member of staff for personal effects; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Compensation was paid to pensioners to recompense them for the reduced pensions they received. Incorrect exchange rates were used in the calculation of their pensions, which resulted in them being paid lower rates of pension than they were due. Besides paying the arrears, DFID paid compensation for their losses.
	Payment of interest and a penalty were made, as required by the Inland Revenue, for backdated national insurance contributions that had not been paid correctly by DFID.
	Compensation was paid to a member of staff for the loss of personal effects which had been placed in store at DFID expense, under the terms of the employment contract while she was working in one of our offices overseas. An administrative error resulted in invoices never being received by DFID, leading the storage company sub-contracted by DFID's freight contractor eventually to sell the effects to cover their costs. DFID's payment was a contribution to the total loss, with the bulk of the compensation paid by our freight contractor.

Direct Budgetary Support

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money the UK has granted for non-poverty reduction direct budgetary support in each year since 1999, broken down by country recipient.

Gareth Thomas: The following table gives details of DFID spending on direct budget support to UK overseas territories since 1999, with the objectives of maximising economic growth, meeting basic needs on the way to self-sufficiency and supporting good governance.
	
		Budgetary aid to Dependent Territories £
		
			 Montserrat  
		
		
			 1999–2000 8,232,403 
			 2000–01 5,740,000 
			 2001–02 7,605,000 
			 2002–03 11,265,000 
			 2003–04 12,450,653 
			 2004–05 10,132,664 
			   
			 St. Helena  
			 1999–2000 5,456,920 
			 2000–01 6,233,728 
			 2001–02 6,019,419 
			 2002–03 5,936,656 
			 2003–04 6,814,138 
			 2004–05 10,024,489

St. Helena

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what rules govern the application for land purchase licences by those holding official Government positions in St. Helena, with particular reference to potential conflicts of interest.

Gareth Thomas: For officials holding 'islander' status, there are no restrictions apart from the general prohibition in Order 84 of the St. Helena Public Service Orders. This forbids the abuse of office to further personal interests. For officials who do not hold 'islander' status, there are requirements for: (a) a licence from the Governor in Council, under the Immigrants Landholding (Restriction) Ordinance; and (b) concurrent permission of the Governor and the Secretary of State, in accordance with Order 81 of St. Helena Public Service Orders.

St. Helena

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2005, Official Report, column 1600W, on St. Helena, what evidence he assessed from (a) Dr. Philip Ashmole and (b) the St. Helena conservation officer Vince Williams before reaching his conclusion that the giant earwig is extinct.

Gareth Thomas: I refer the hon. member for Lewes to the response which I gave on of 21 November 2005, Official Report, column 1600W, in which was explained that the giant earwig is believed to be extinct, not that it is extinct. My understanding is that this is the view currently held by professional entomologists, who are familiar with this species and its habitat. We have frequent contact with Dr. Ashmole and with environmental officials in the Government of St. Helena.

St. Helena

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2005, Official Report, column 1599W, on St. Helena, for what reason a public inquiry has been ruled out.

Gareth Thomas: I understand that legislation in St. Helena does not provide for a public inquiry process. Submissions for planning approval are subject to a period of public consultation. This will apply when an application is made in respect of the airport.

St. Helena

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the estimated cost is of the proposed airport on St. Helena; and what percentage of this cost will be met by (a) his Department, (b) other UK funds, (c) public funds in St. Helena and (d) other sources.

Gareth Thomas: Our estimates have not been published, as to do so could commercially prejudice current procurement processes. Our intention is that the full cost of building the airport will be funded by DFID, subject to acceptable contract bids and a rigorous environmental impact assessment.

St. Helena

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2005, Official Report, column 1600W, on St. Helena, if he will instruct the Government of St. Helena to withdraw the requirement for members of the Planning and Development Board to sign the Official Secrets Act on the grounds of disproportionality.

Gareth Thomas: The Planning and Development Board occasionally considers material which is commercially or otherwise sensitive. The St. Helena Government have advised that the Official Secrets Act is currently the only mechanism for protecting such material within its existing legislation. We will not, therefore, be requesting the Government of St. Helena to withdraw the requirement.

St. Helena

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the progress of the building of the new airport in St. Helena.

Gareth Thomas: A notice has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union, seeking capability statements from suitably qualified contractors. We expect to issue an invitation to tender as early as possible in 2006, with construction starting in 2007. Work on environmental and social impact assessments, the outcome of which will be reflected in the airport "design, build and operate" contract, is well under way.

Public Service Agreements

Philip Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister why an 11-year average starting in 1999 is used to measure performance against 2004 public service agreement target number 3.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The 11-year period was chosen to provide consistency across Government with the time scales for other "healthier nation" targets, as set out in the 1999 White Paper "Saving lives: Our healthier nation".

Social Services Funding

Frank Field: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Wigan (Mr. Turner) of 24 November 2005, Official Report, column 2238W, on social services funding, if he will extend the table to include the relevant data for Wirral local authority.

Phil Woolas: The information is as follows.
	
		
			 £ per person 
			  Personal social services for younger adults FSS per person aged 18 to 64 Personal social services for children FSS per person aged 0 to 17 Personal social services for older people FSS per person aged 65 and over Total personal social services FSS per person 
		
		
			 Inner London boroughs including the City of London 212.04 1,141.53 1,385.83 519.66 
			 Outer London boroughs 134.21 498.33 858.63 312.52 
			 Metropolitan districts 126.04 406.49 860.18 305.85 
			 Wigan 109.30 295.17 880.77 263.99 
			 Salford 142.48 471.94 1,021.78 355.46 
			 Knowsley 145.43 595.74 1,062.50 397.77 
			 South Tyneside 134.12 467.19 902.12 347.39 
			 Leeds 121.32 358.01 762.24 271.72 
			 Wolverhampton 134.11 453.09 934.74 342.46 
			 Wirral 124.71 423.99 789.29 311.73

Departmental Tendering Policy

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her policy is on including (a) ethical and (b) environmental factors in tenders for services.

David Lammy: DCMS Terms and Conditions for Services include the subjects of 'Prevention of Corruption' and 'Discrimination'. It is already the policy in DCMS for all catering to make use of Fair Trade goods and provisions wherever possible.
	The Department requires bidders to complete a pre-qualification questionnaire which incorporates questions about their environmental capabilities. This is assessed prior to selection of candidates to participate in the tendering process.
	DCMS alongside other Government Departments is developing a sustainable development strategy. Part of that strategy will be to take guidance from the OGC/DEFRA Joint Note on Environmental Issues in Purchasing. DCMS has also been taking guidance from the list of "Quick Win" environmentally friendly products supplied by OGC Buying Solutions and the toolkits currently being devised by DEFRA.

Licensing

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate the Government have made of the average cost to (a) village halls and community centres and (b) sports clubs of applying for a full premises licence and personal licences under the Licensing Act 2003.

James Purnell: We do not hold the information in the form requested. Under the Licensing Act 2003, premises apply for a one-off premises licence and then pay an annual charge for their licence thereafter. The charge is based on the rateable value of the property. The current fee structure for these two payments is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Rateable value bands Main application fee Main annual charge 
		
		
			 A 100 70 
			 B 190 180 
			 C 315 295 
			 D 450 320 
			 E 635 350 
		
	
	The fee relating to an application for a personal licence has been set at £37 to be paid every 10 years. This would not be paid by sports clubs that hold club premises certificates.
	The regulatory impact assessment that accompanies the fees regulations states that non commercial premises such as village and community halls and sports clubs tend to fall in fee bands A and B which should not place an undue or disproportionate burden on the premises affected. In addition, no fee is payable by a village hall or community centre if it intends only to put on entertainment. The Licensing Act 2003 also brings deregulatory benefits, reducing the number of administrative licensing processes under the previous arrangements by almost tenfold. This benefits village halls, community centres and sports clubs by removing the need to apply for several licences and permissions and allows them to offer a wider range of activities to their users and members under a single licence. Once the new licence is obtained, there will be no more form filling for committees unless the hall or sports club wish to change their licence.
	As part of our arrangements for monitoring the impact of the Licensing Act 2003, an Independent Licensing Fees Review Panel has been established to consider the impact of fees on a wide range of stakeholders, including village and community halls and sports clubs. The panel will deliver an interim report shortly, followed by a Final report in autumn 2006 detailing findings and where appropriate making recommendations for the development of the licensing fees regime. We will consider carefully the evidence from these exercises and any recommendations to help community and village halls and sports clubs operate within the new regime.

Corporation Tax

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much corporation tax was raised from business in Northamptonshire in each year since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: The information is not available to estimate the amount of corporation tax raised from business in Northamptonshire in each year since 1997.

Tax Credits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many cases in Scotland where tax credit overpayments have been disputed (a) they have been written off, (b) additional tax credits have been awarded to deal with hardship and (c) claimants in receipt of additional tax credits due to hardship have also (i) disputed their overpayment and (ii) had it written off in (A) 2003–04, (B) 2004–05 and (C) 2005–06 to date.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is not available in the format requested.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Yeovil on 21 November 2005, Official Report, column 331W.

Tax Credits

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total number of overpayments is in Scotland due to official errors in the new tax credit system; and what their value was in each year since April 2003.

Dawn Primarolo: Estimates for 2003–04 of the numbers of in-work families with tax credits awards, including information on overpayments and underpayments by constituency, based on final family circumstances and incomes for 2003–04 are published in "Child and Working Tax Credits. Finalised Awards. 2003–04 Geographical Analysis." This publication and provisional estimates for the number of in-work families by constituency with tax credit awards as at selected dates in 2004–05 are available on the HMRC website at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-geog-stats.htm
	Estimates of numbers of overpayments or underpayments for 2004–05 awards at 5 April 2005 will not be available until after family circumstances and incomes for 2004–05 have been finalised.
	A breakdown of the causes of these overpayments is not available.

Tax Yields

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  if he will estimate the extra annual yield in 2005–06 had the (a) landfill tax, (b) vehicle excise duty, (c) air passenger duty and (d) fuel duty been raised in line with (i) the GDP deflator and (ii) GDP, (A) since its introduction and (B) since 1996–97; and what the (1) rate would be and (2) percentage difference between that rate and the current rate is in each case;
	(2)  if he will estimate the extra annual yield in 2005–06 had the (a) climate change levy and (b) aggregates tax been raised in line with (i) the GDP deflator and (ii) GDP since its introduction; and what the (A) rate would be and (B) percentage difference between that rate and the current rate is in each case.

John Healey: Reliable estimates of the extra yield or rates in 2005–06 are not available for vehicle excise duty, air passenger duty and fuel duty due to changes in the structure of these rates from their introduction and again from 1996–97. Reliable estimates of the extra yield in 2005–06 are not available for landfill tax because the actual standard rate of landfill tax differs markedly from the scenarios outlined in the question and disentangling behavioural effects would be very difficult and highly uncertain. Estimates for climate change levy and aggregates levy are shown in the following tables.
	
		
			   £ million, rounded 
			  Estimated extra yield in 2005–06 
			  If raised in line with GDP deflator(1) since introduction If raised in line with money GDP(1) since introduction 
		
		
			 Climate change levy—introduced in April 2001 75 150 
			 Aggregates levy—introduced in April 2002 25 50 
		
	
	Note:
	Includes behavioural effects.
	(1) Source:
	HM Treasury.
	
		
			  Rate in 2005–06 if raised in line with GDP deflator(2)since introduction Rate in 2005–06 if raised in line with money GDP(2) since introduction 
			  Pence per kWh Percentage difference from current rate Pence per kWh Percentage difference from current rate 
		
		
			 Climate change levy—introduced in April 2001 
			 Gas, coal and solid fuels 0.166 10.9 0.185 23.4 
			 Electricity 0.477 10.9 0.531 23.4 
			 LPG(3) 0.078 10.9 0.086 23.4 
			  
			 Aggregates levy—introduced in April 2002 £1.72 per tonne 7.5 £1.87 per tonne 16.8 
		
	
	(2) Source: HM Treasury.
	(3) Liquefied Petroleum Gas.
	Information on the rates of landfill tax, air passenger duty, fuel duty, climate change levy and aggregates levy is available at the UK Trade Info website: www.uktradeinfo.com/index.cfm?task=statindex
	Information on the rates of vehicle excise duty is available at the DVLA website: www.dvla.gov.uk/vehicles/taxation.htm
	Information on the GDP deflator and GDP is available at HM Treasury's website: www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/economic_data_and_tools/data_index.cfm

Venture Capital Trusts

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of (a) the number and (b) the total asset size of venture capital trusts.

Ivan Lewis: There were 98 venture capital trusts managing funds as at September 2005, as published on the National Statistics pages of the HMRC Website (http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/venture/8_6_sep05.pdf).
	Venture capital trusts have raised a total of over £2.2 billion since the scheme's inception but we do not have an estimate for the current value of total assets for these funds.

Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 26 September.

Anne McGuire: I replied to the hon. Member on 11 October 2005. I am arranging for a copy to be sent to him.

Pensioner Poverty

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners have been assessed as living in poverty in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the United Kingdom in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: The seventh annual 'Opportunity for all' report (Cm 6673) sets out the Government's strategy for tackling poverty and social exclusion and reports progress against a range of indicators.
	Information on the number of pensioners in low income is not available below regional level. The following table gives estimates for the number of pensioners in relative low income and absolute low income in the North East and in Great Britain.
	
		Number of pensioners living in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of GB median income in the North East (in millions) based on three-year rolling averages
		
			  Relative low income Absolute low income (1996–97 terms) 
			  Before housing costs After housing costs Before housing costs After housing costs 
		
		
			 1996–97 to 1998–99 0.10 0.14 0.10 0.13 
			 1997–98 to 1999–2000 0.11 0.13 0.09 0.11 
			 1998–99 to 2000–01 0.12 0.13 0.09 0.09 
			 1999–2000 to 2001–02 0.12 0.12 0.07 0.07 
			 2000–01 to 2002–03 0.11 0.11 0.06 0.06 
			 2001–02 to 2003–04 0.10 0.10 0.04 0.04 
		
	
	
		Number of pensioners living in households with incomes below 60 per cent. of GB median income in Great Britain (in millions) based on single-year estimates.
		
			  Relative low income Absolute low income (1996–97 terms) 
			  Before housing costs After housing costs Before housing costs After housing costs 
		
		
			 1996–97 2.2 2.8 2.2 2.8 
			 1997–98 2.3 2.7 2.2 2.6 
			 1998–99 2.4 2.7 2.1 2.4 
			 1999–2000 2.3 2.6 1.9 2.0 
			 2000–01 2.2 2.5 1.6 1.6 
			 2001–02 2.3 2.4 1.5 1.2 
			 2002–03 2.3 2.3 1.2 1.0 
			 2003–04 2.2 2.0 1.1 0.9 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures for the North East are provided using a three-year rolled average, as single-year estimates do not provide a robust guide to year-on-year changes. Figures are therefore not the same as previously published single-year estimates and there may be differences in changes over time. Due to this, the absolute and relative figures in 1996–97 to 1998–99 will not necessarily match. In circumstances such as a change in trend, rolled averages will show less variation than single year estimates.
	2. Regional three-year rolled average figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000.
	3. The estimates use the same income measures as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI). Income is net of income tax and council tax, and adjusted for household size and composition.
	Source:
	Family Resources Survey (FRS)

Driving (Sleep Problems)

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department provides to (a) licensing category Group 1 drivers and (b) licensing category Group 2 drivers to increase drivers' awareness of obstructive sleep apnoea (i) at the time of initial applications for a driving licence and (ii) on renewal of a licence.

Stephen Ladyman: The Group 1 and Group 2 driving licence application forms require applicants to declare a history of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and this is reiterated in DVLA's information booklet on forms completion. Following normal medical investigations, drivers who are issued a licence, in the knowledge of OSA syndrome, are sent information pointing out the dangers of driving while drowsy and the need to report any deterioration to DVLA. Information is also provided to their general practitioner. This process is repeated at licence renewal.
	DVLA has produced an information leaflet about the danger of tiredness and driving for use in sleep clinics.
	All medical practitioners have access to the DVLA handbook "At a Glance Guide to the Current Medical Standards of Fitness to Drive". The most up-to-date version can be found on DVLA's website at www.dvla.gov.uk and includes information on obstructive sleep apnoea.

Driving (Sleep Problems)

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many doctors have approached the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency on behalf of patients with diagnosed symptomatic sleep disorders in the last five years.

Stephen Ladyman: This data are not available.

Road Traffic (London)

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what was the average speed travelled by private cars in London in (a) 1999–2000 and (b) 2004–05.

Stephen Ladyman: Estimates are available for average traffic speeds in London and are derived from speed surveys conducted on a three-year cycle by Transport for London. These surveys measure the average speed of all traffic. Speeds by individual vehicle class such as cars are not available.
	Average traffic speeds for the periods 1997–2000 and 2003–06 are as follows:
	
		Average traffic speeds in London 1997–2006 Miles per hour
		
			  Central area Inner area Outer area All areas 
		
		
			 Morning peak period 
			 1997–2000 10.0 12.0 18.2 15.9 
			 2003–06 10.6 11.7 — — 
			  
			 Daytime off-peak period   
			 1997–2000 10.0 14.8 21.9 18.5 
			 2003–06 10.5 14.1 — — 
			  
			 Evening peak period 
			 1997–2000 10.2 11.4 19.1 16.2 
			 2003–06 10.6 12.3 — — 
		
	
	The 2003–06 cycle is not complete and the outer area survey information is not yet available.

School Buses

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of safety provisions in legislation covering the use of buses transporting children to school with particular reference to safety of buses (a) with more than 16 seats and (b) carrying older pupils.

Stephen Ladyman: Government statistics distinguish accidents involving mini-buses from those involving larger passenger vehicles but are unable to differentiate those accidents involving buses from those involving coaches. Similarly, the statistics do not differentiate between organised school transport and regular bus services carrying children to school.
	With respect to children (12 to 15), and making no distinction for the time of day at which the accident occurred, there was an average of 0.4 fatalities and 20 serious injuries per year for the period 1994–98. In 2004 there was one fatality and 18 serious injuries. These figures reduce slightly if we consider the peak time of day for school transport. Considering only the period 7 am to 10 am and 3 pm to 6 pm during weekdays, serious injuries reduce to 15.
	The figures are lower for the younger age group (0 to 11) where the 1994–98 average was 0.2 fatalities and 14 serious injuries. In 2004 the figures for this group were 0 fatalities and nine serious injuries, reducing to eight during the peak school transport period.
	Buses and coaches are the safest mode of personal/passenger road transport, when considering the number killed and seriously injured (KSI) with respect to the number of kilometres travelled. Figures for 2003 indicate that the rate of KSI per billion kilometres travelled was 10 for bus and coach travel compared with 27 for passenger cars, 534 for cyclists and 443 for pedestrians.
	The Government is committed to improving child road safety. In 2000 it set itself a challenging target to reduce, by 2010, the KSI child casualties (0 to 15 years) to 50 per cent. of the 1994 to 1998 average. The data indicate that in 2004 there were 3,905 KSI child casualties. This represents a reduction of 43 per cent. on the baseline and we are therefore well on track to meet or exceed our target.

Official Residences

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the Ministers who have occupied each of the three flats in Admiralty House in each year since May 1997.

Tony Blair: The three flats in Admiralty House are currently occupied by: the Deputy Prime Minister; the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; and the Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal. With the exception of the Leader of the House of Commons, who took up residence in 2002, the other Ministers have been in residence since 1997. Other Ministers who occupied the flats since 1997 were the then Defence Secretary (1997–79) and the then Northern Ireland Secretary and later Minister for the Cabinet Office (2000–01).

Adoption and Children Act

David Drew: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs for what reasons the British Association of Play Therapists was not included in consultations in relation to the Adoption and Children Act 2002, with particular reference to the role to be played by adoption support agencies.

Maria Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The British Association of Play Therapists was not excluded from consultations in relation to the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (the 2002 Act). These were full public consultations, open to all. Five consultation documents on the adoption and special guardianship regulations and guidance to be made under the 2002 Act were published for full public consultation in 2003–04: "Arranging Adoptions and Assessing Prospective Adopters; Adoption Reports and Adoptions with a Foreign Element, Access to Information; Adoption Support and Adoption Support Agencies and Care Planning and Special Guardianship". The "Adoption Support and Adoption Support Agencies" document set out the Government's proposals in relation to adoption support agencies (ASAs) and included draft Regulations and National Minimum Standards for ASAs. All of these consultation documents were fully accessible to the public on the Department for Education and Skills website, and consultation responses were invited from anyone who wished to express a view.

Departmental Staff

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what restrictions there were on his Department's officials seeking employment with companies in the defence sector while they remain employed by the Ministry.

Adam Ingram: Members of the armed forces and Ministry of Defence officials, like other Crown servants, are required to comply with rules on the acceptance of outside business appointments if they wish to take up other employment—whether in the defence industry or elsewhere—within two years of their retirement or resignation. The rules provide for the scrutiny of applications and for the imposition of a waiting period or other conditions where there might be cause for concern. The rules for the home civil service are set out in Section 4.3 Annex B of the civil service management code, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Corresponding requirements also apply to members of the armed forces.

Iraq

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many servicemen have received treatment for mental health problems since serving in Iraq during the current conflict; and where they have been treated.

Don Touhig: holding answer 29 November 2005
	Currently available statistics show that between January 2003 and September 2005, 1,333 UK service personnel who deployed on operation Telic subsequently received treatment for mental health conditions. This represents around 1.5 per cent. of total UK service personnel deployed to the region during the same period. Out-patient treatment takes place at 13 MOD Departments of community mental health (DCMH) located throughout the UK and three satellite centres in Cyprus, Germany and Gibraltar. In-patient treatment, when required, has been provided by The Priory Group since April 2004.
	Due to data capture problems, we have been unable to include figures from DCMH Cyprus for the period June to September 2005. This will be rectified in future, but the numbers will be very small and should not significantly affect the total.

Joint Strike Fighter

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his latest estimate is of when the Joint Strike Fighter will be operative; and what the cost of the Joint Strike Fighter will be.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to my answers of 23 November 2005, Official Report, column 2054W, to the hon. Member for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis). The UK's procurement cost is likely to be up to £10 billion, depending on the eventual number of aircraft required. In service support costs will be determined by whatever through life support strategy we decide to adopt.

Postal Services

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the subsidised mail allowance for service personnel serving abroad; and what is the average time taken to deliver mail to troops serving in Iraq.

Adam Ingram: Postcards, letters and small packets, up to a maximum weight of 2 kg, can be sent by airmail to any member of HM forces or otherwise entitled persons serving abroad, at a concessionary rate, which is subsidised by the Ministry of Defence. For example, a 2 kg packet can be sent by airmail to a British forces post office address at a cost of £7.16, whereas to send the same packet by the standard Royal Mail airmail tariff to a civilian address in Germany would cost £10.59, and, to a civilian address in world zone 1 (i.e. outside Europe) would cost £37.31.
	BFPO mail for Iraq is normally despatched six times per week by RAF aircraft. Typically, a letter posted in the United Kingdom could take one to two days to reach the BFPO sorting office in London, and a further two days to reach the British forces post office deployed in Iraq. Final receipt by the addressee is of course dependent on the operational activities of the addressee's unit, and the difficulty of effecting delivery from the forces post office, via the addressee's unit, to the named individual.

Reservists

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reservists in the armed forces are teachers.

Don Touhig: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Type-23 Frigates

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for a successor to the Type-23 frigates.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 30 November 2005
	The future surface combatant project is looking at how the capability currently provided by the Type 22 and Type 23 frigates will be delivered after the end of their service lives. This project is still in its concept phase and no decisions have been taken.

Civil Servants

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many employees have been dismissed by each of the Northern Ireland Departments in each of the past five years.

David Hanson: In the absence of my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Angela E. Smith), I have been asked to reply.
	The following table reflects the number of dismissals on grounds of inefficiency (capability and/or attendance) and discipline (conduct) from Northern Ireland Departments, including their agencies. Agencies have been included to give a more representative picture of the number of dismissals.
	
		
			  DE DCAL DARD DETI DFP OFM DFM DSD DEL DHSSPS DRD DOE 
		
		
			 2001 1 — 15 2 1 0 11 1 2 9 — 
			 2002 2 1 15 2 2 0 35 3 — 5 — 
			 2003 1 — 12 2 1 2 26 8 6 7 6 
			 2004 2 1 15 4 0 0 46 4 4 17 5 
			 2005 2 1 13 2 6 0 41 3 3 12 3 
			 Total 8 3 70 12 10 2 159 19 15 50 14 
		
	
	Additionally, the Northern Ireland Office dismissed two employees in 2004.

Departmental Estate

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which buildings and sites used by his Department and related agencies (a) have ceased to be used in the last year and (b) will be closed under current plans for relocation.

Peter Hain: The property portfolio of the Northern Ireland Office and its agencies has not reduced in the last year. The Youth Justice Agency's Juvenile Justice Centre in Rathgael is planned for closure in the 2006–07 fiscal year, and will be relocated to a different area of the current site. The FSNI currently occupies part of a PSNI site and has long-term plans to relocate from its current location. The PSNI would continue to use the site and neither the site or the buildings would be closed due to this future relocation.
	NIO staff in two rented buildings will be transferred to a building leased from DFP within the Stormont Estate.

Departmental Staff

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many new staff started employment in the (a) Office of the First and Deputy First Minister, (b) Department for Social Development, (c) Department of Education, (d) Department of the Environment, (e) Department for Agriculture and Rural Development and (f) Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety during 2004; and how many of these were (i) Protestant and (ii) Roman Catholic.

David Hanson: In the absence of my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Angela E. Smith), I have been asked to reply.
	The following table provides details of appointments for the year 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 and includes industrial and non-industrial, permanent and temporary.
	
		
			 Department including Agencies New staff (Catholic) New staff (Protestant) Non determined 
		
		
			 OFMDFM 4 5 0 
			 DSD 659 418 14 
			 DE 34 59 2 
			 DOE 228 179 29 
			 DARD 266 248 31 
			 DHSSPS 55 76 1

Senior Board Members

David Amess: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what estimate she has made of the number of women in senior board positions in businesses in (a) Southend, (b) Essex, (c) Hertfordshire, (d) Greater London and (e) England and Wales in each of the last 10 years.

Meg Munn: Over 2 million companies are registered on the Companies House register for England and Wales. A full response to this question would require manual scrutiny of business documents for all these companies and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The Female FTSE 100 Index provides a diversity measurement for women being recruited to senior board positions in the UK. Figures for 2005 were published last week and revealed an increase in the number of women on the boards of FTSE 100 companies. 78 companies have women on their boards, which reflects an increase of 13 per cent. since 2004. Women now make up 10.5 per cent. of board members, compared to 5.8 per cent. in 2000.

Abortion

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of whether the exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 apply to files held by her Department relating to (a) the Abortion (Amendment) Bill, 1979–80 Session, (b) the Abortion (Amendment) Bill 1987–88 Session and (c) the Unborn Children (Protection) Bills in sessions (i) 1984–85, (ii) 1985–86 and (iii) 1987–88; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: No assessment has been made on whether any exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 would apply to these files.

Avian Influenza

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health why the UK is not using the generic drug available for avian influenza; and what recent discussions she has had within the World Trade Organisation on the availability of that drug.

Caroline Flint: There has been some confusion between seasonal flu, avian flu and pandemic flu. Avian influenza is a disease which mainly affects birds. Seasonal flu refers to the virus that circulates in the human population and causes widespread illness each winter. Pandemic flu will only occur after an avian virus has mutated into a strain to which large numbers of the population have not been exposed and which can spread easily between humans.
	We have purchased 14.6 million courses of oseltamivir (Tamiflu) to treat the 25 per cent. of the population that may fall ill during a pandemic. Deliveries will be complete by September 2006 and we have produced guidance to inform local national health service planning for the distribution and storage of these medicines.
	Roche, the company that has manufacturing license for Tamiflu, recently announced that it is exploring sub-licensing other manufacturers to produce Tamiflu.

Blindness

Richard Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards delivering the objectives set out in the Vision 2020 programme for eliminating avoidable blindness.

Rosie Winterton: We are committed to the principles of Vision 2020 for the elimination of avoidable blindness.
	We allocated £73 million to drive down the maximum waiting time for cataract operations to three months. This was achieved in January 2005, four years ahead of the NHS Plan target.
	Primary care trusts (PCTs) are expected to deliver the national commitment that by 2006, a minimum of 80 per cent. of people with diabetes will be offered screening for the early detection, and treatment if needed, of diabetic retinopathy as part of a systematic programme that meets national standards, rising to 100 per cent. coverage of those at risk by end of 2007. This is reflected in the delivery strategy for the diabetes national service framework.
	The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence issued its guidance on photodynamic therapy on 24 September 2003. All PCTs are funding photodynamic therapy treatment for patients with both the wholly classic and predominantly classic forms of age-related macular degeneration.
	The Department established the eye care services steering group in December 2002 comprising representatives of key stakeholders across the profession, national health service and voluntary sector, including Vision 2020 UK, to deliver proposals for eye care services in England which were consistent with and which supported the Vision 2020 programme.
	The group has developed evidence-based pathways for four key conditions: cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and low vision services.
	The report of the eye care services steering group, along with the four pathways, were issued to the NHS as commissioning guidance in May 2004. The Department has allocated £4 million to eight pilot sites to test out the pathways in glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and low vision services.

Blindness

Richard Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Department is taking to facilitate the use by opticians of cameras which photograph the back of the eye; and if she will make a statement about diabetes retinopathy screening.

Rosie Winterton: Primary care trusts are responsible for implementing diabetic retinopathy screening to national standards as set out in "Improvement, Expansion and Reform: the next three years", the planning and performance framework for 2003 to 2006 and diabetes national service framework delivery strategy. It is for local health services to decide how they want the programme to be delivered locally. Optometrists have played an important role on the national diabetic retinopathy screening project advisory group set up to steer the development of the programme.

Children's Diet

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the average daily calorie intake was of children under 16 years in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  what the average daily calorie intake was for children (a) five years ago, (b) 10 years ago, (c) 20 years ago and (d) 30 years ago.

Caroline Flint: The most recent information available on the average daily energy (calorie) intake of children is shown in the following table and is taken from the 1992–93 national diet and nutrition survey of children aged 1½ to 4½ years and the 1997 national diet and nutrition survey of young people aged four to 18 years which is shown in the table. There is no earlier or more recent comparable data available.
	
		Average daily energy intake (kcal) by sex and age
		
			  Energy Intake (kcal/day) 
			 Age (years) Male Female 
		
		
			 1½–4½ 1,172 1,108 
			 4–6 1,520 1,397 
			 7–10 1,777 1,598 
			 11–14 1,968 1,672 
			 15–18 2,285 1,622 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Data from Gregory J, Collins DL, Davies PSW, Hughes JM & Clarke PC. "National Diet and Nutrition Survey: Children aged 1½ to 4½ years. Volume 1: Report of the diet and nutrition survey". HMSO (London: 1995).
	2. Data from Gregory J, Lowe S, Bates CJ, Prentice A, Jackson LV, Smithers G, Wenlock R & Farron M. "National Diet and Nutrition Survey: young people aged 4 to 18 years. Volume 1: Report of the diet and nutrition survey" (2000). TSO (London: 2000).
	This lack of trend data was the major driver behind the Food Standards Agency's decision to set up a new rolling programme of national diet and nutrition surveys. The rolling programme will cover all ages from 1½ years upwards and will provide more frequent data for children and other age groups, so strengthening the ability to track changes over time. The first results from the rolling programme should be available from 2008–09.

Doctors and Nurses

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) doctors and (b) nurses are working in the NHS in (i) Oxfordshire and (ii) Banbury constituency; and what the equivalent figures were in 1997.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		General medical practitioners(5), GP practice nurses, hospital, public health medicine and community health services (HCHS): medical and dental staff(6) and nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff within Thames Valley by specified organisation Numbers (headcount)
		
			  1997(7) 
			   Of which:  Of which: 
			 England(8) All doctors HCHS doctors(5) General medical practitioners All nurses Nursing, midwifery and health GP practice nurses 
		
		
			 Thames Valley 3,525 2,293 1,232 — 11,539 776 
			 of which   
			 Cherwell Vale PCT n/a 0 n/a n/a 0 n/a 
			 North East Oxfordshire n/a o n/a n/a 0 n/a 
			 Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS n/a 56 n/a n/a 232 n/a 
			 Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust n/a 564 n/a n/a 1,666 n/a 
			 Thames Valley SHA n/a 0 n/a n/a 0 n/a 
		
	
	
		Numbers (headcount)
		
			  2004 
			   Of which:  Of which: 
			 England(8) All doctors HCHS doctors(5) General medical practitioners All nurses Nursing, midwifery and health GP practice nurses 
		
		
			 Thames Valley 4,729 3,283 1,446 — 14,301 937 
			 Of which:   
			 Cherwell Vale PCT 84 2 82 149 121 28 
			 North East Oxfordshire 84 33 51 116 83 33 
			 Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS 82 82 0 319 319 0 
			 Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust 1,104 1,104 0 3,736 3,736 0 
			 Thames Valley SHA 21 21 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	n/a=not available.
	(5) General medical practitioners (excluding retainers) includes contracted GPs, GMS others and PMS others. Prior to September 2004 this group included GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, salaried doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS other, flexible career scheme GPs and GP returners.
	(6) Excludes medical hospital practitioners and medical clinical assistants, most of whom are GPs working part-time in hospitals.
	(7) There is no PCT data available in 1997 as PCTs came into existence in 2001.
	(8) Data as at 30 September 2004, In 1997, data for HCHS medical and dental staff and nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff as at 30 September, data for GP and practice nurse data as at 1 October.
	Source:
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre General and Personal Medical Services Statistics
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre medical and dental workforce census
	NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre non-medical workforce census

National Diet and Nutrition Survey

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the results of the national diet and nutrition survey of 2000; what impact the survey results have had on her public health and nutrition policy; and what plans her Department has to evaluate the nutritional status of people aged (a) under 19 and (b) over 64 years.

Caroline Flint: The findings of the 2000–01 national diet and nutrition survey of adults aged 19 to 64 years show a mixed picture of the diet and nutritional health of this age group. On average, adults in Britain were getting sufficient nutrients from their diets. There were some positive dietary changes since the previous survey of this group in 1986–87, notably the fall in average intake of fat, which is now close to the recommended amount. However, intakes of saturated fat, non-milk extrinsic sugar and salt are still higher than the recommended levels. Young adults in particular had low consumption of fruit and vegetables and low intakes of some vitamins and minerals.
	The survey findings have informed the development of Government's priorities for action on diet and nutrition set out in "Choosing A Better Diet: a food and health action plan" to reduce the consumption of fat, salt and sugar and increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables. It has also informed the development of specific targets in the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) Strategic Plan for 2005 to 2010. These include targets to reduce population intakes of salt and saturated fat.
	The FSA is setting up a new rolling programme of national diet and nutrition surveys. The survey will cover all age groups including people under 19 years and over 64 years, providing data to supersede earlier surveys of these age groups. The first results from the rolling programme should become available by 2008–09.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Government have set a time scale for bringing the guidelines for preventative treatment against respiratory syncytial virus up to EU recommended standards.

Caroline Flint: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recently reviewed all the available evidence on the use of palivizumab for the prevention of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The minutes to this meeting (22 June 2005) are available on the Department's website: www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/JCVI/minutes.htm.
	Any recommendation on immunisation made by the Department will be based on the advice of JCVI.

Seasonal Adjustment Disorder

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what NHS treatment is available for seasonal adjustment disorder.

Rosie Winterton: Although seasonal adjustment (affective) disorder is not listed in the international classification of mental and behavioural disorders (ICD-10), it is generally accepted that there are people who appear to be affected in this way. Whatever the causes, which are not fully understood, depression is a matter of concern to those delivering mental health services. People suffering from depression that varies seasonally can access the full range of mental health services available in primary and secondary care.

Child Care

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her estimate is of the number of child care places that are required but not being supplied.

Maria Eagle: At September 2005, the total number of (registered) child care places reported from Ofsted stood at 1.22 million. We do not collect national data on the demand for child care places although we have commissioned a number of sample surveys of parental needs and surveys, most recently in 2001. This survey found that a quarter of all households experienced some form of unmet demand in that year. Estimating the supply and demand at the national level is difficult because the child care market operates at a very local level, leading to significant local variation. We know for example the gap is bigger in London, South West and the East Midlands.
	The Childcare Bill currently going through parliament formalises a new duty on local authorities to secure sufficient child care to meet local needs. Within this the duty also requires LAs to carry out an assessment of the local child care market, at least every three years, to develop an overall picture of child care provision in the area. This will help them to identify gaps in provision—and to support providers, from all sectors, to achieve a child care market that meets local needs of working parents. Statutory guidance will support the provisions.

Child Contact Procedures

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to improve safety checks on new partners of a parent with custody of a child in cases of disputed contact with a non-resident parent.

Maria Eagle: holding answer 29 November 2005
	We wish to ensure that safety checks are undertaken in all cases where there is a concern that a child could be at risk. Subject to parliamentary approval, the Children and Adoption Bill will strengthen the safeguards for children, by placing a statutory duty on Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) officers to undertake risk assessments whenever they are involved in private law family proceedings, where they suspect that a child is at risk of suffering harm. This will include those cases of disputed contact which are the subject of court applications, where the child resides with a parent who has a new partner and there is a concern that a child might be at risk.
	Since section 120 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 came into effect on 31 January 2005, parties in contact, and other section 8 Children Act 1989 proceedings, have the opportunity of raising concerns about harm, when an application for proceedings is first made or when the respondent files an acknowledgement of proceedings. If either party indicates there may be an issue of harm, including concerns about a new resident partner, they are then expected to provide details in a supplemental information form. These forms will be copied to CAFCASS by the courts, thus enabling its practitioners to prepare in advance of the hearing by making relevant checks and assessments. These include checks of social services and police records, which CAFCASS is entitled to ask for through its duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children under section 12 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Services Act 2000.
	Subsequently, assisted by information from CAFCASS, the courts are then well placed to consider whether it is necessary, at the outset of formal proceedings, to make findings of fact.

Child Protection Registers

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children were placed on child protection registers in each year since 2002, broken down by category of registration; and how many were taken into care in each case.

Maria Eagle: Details of registrations to child protection registers broken down by category of abuse may be found in table E of the Department's Statistical First Release on "Referrals, Assessments and Children and Young People on Child Protection Registers England: Year Ending 31 March 2005". Information on the number of looked after children that are placed on child protection registers can be found in table C of the same publication. This information can be downloaded from the Department's website at: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000614/index.shtml. It is also placed in the House of Commons Library.

Early-years Education

Edward Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many three and four-year-olds in (a) Wakefield district and (b) Normanton constituency are receiving (i) 12.5 hours a week, (ii) 15 hours a week and (iii) 20 hours a week of free early-years education.

Beverley Hughes: Information is not collected in the form requested.
	All four-year-olds have been entitled to a free early education place since 1998 and from April 2004 this entitlement was extended to all three-year-olds. The free entitlement consists of a minimum of five two-and-a-half hour sessions per week for 33 weeks of the year for six terms before statutory school age, which is the term following their fifth birthday.
	Some local authorities may additionally offer subsidised child care places but this information is not collected centrally.
	Figures for January 2005 show that all four-year-old children receive some form of free entitlement. The figure for three-years-olds is 96 per cent. This covers all maintained, private, voluntary and independent providers and represents 535,100 three-year-olds and 568,300 four-year-olds.
	In January 2005 in Wakefield LA there were 3,200 free nursery places taken up by three-year-old children. The equivalent figure for four-year-olds was 3,600. Information for private and voluntary providers is not currently available for Normanton constituency in 2005.
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release 43/2005 "Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2005 (final)" in September, which is available on my Department's website http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000604/index.shtml

Higher Education

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effect on (a) the science and knowledge base of regions and (b) regional development of the system for allocating research funding to higher education institutions;
	(2)  what discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on the links between university research funding and tackling regional productivity differences; and if she will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: My right hon. Friend and I welcome the contribution that higher education is making to national and regional economic development and have discussed this on a regular basis with a wide range of partners, including representatives of the higher education sector, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and other Government Departments. Although we have no present plans to change the system whereby HEFCE's research funding allocations reward research excellence wherever it is found, the Higher Education Innovation Fund continues to support universities' capacity to interact productively with business and the community. The third phase of the fund will run from 2006–08 and will guarantee all HEFCE-funded higher education institutions a minimum allocation from a total budget of more than £200 million. We also welcome the work that regional partners, including the regional development agencies, are doing to support collaboration, knowledge transfer, innovation and inward investment within their regions.

Pre-school Education

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the merits of (a) informal and (b) formal pre-school education;
	(2)  what research she has commissioned into the long-term effects of pre-school education for (a) emotional and social development and (b) attainment at key stage 1.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 24 November 2005
	To assess the benefits of funded early education, delivered in a wide range of both maintained and private, voluntary and independent settings, my Department commissioned the effective provision of re-school education (EPPE) study. This study, which began in 1997, follows 3,000 children from the age of three to the end of key stage 2. So far, the study has demonstrated that there are benefits of pre-school education for attainment and social and emotional development in key stage 1. Other findings include that children with experience of pre-school education demonstrate significantly higher attainment in KS1 national assessments in mathematics and English compared with children who have no experience of pre-school education. The EPPE study will continue to follow children's development to the end of key stage 2. Further information can be found at www.dfes.gov.uk/research
	This study found that the children of those parents who actively engaged in activities such as teaching songs and nursery rhymes and reading to the child did better at the end of key stage 1 compared to children whose parents did not engage in such activities.
	My Department has also commissioned the University of Bristol to look at the impact of different types of childcare (including informal care, for instance with relatives) on children's behavioural and cognitive outcomes at ages five and seven, using data from the Avon longitudinal study of parents and children. We will publish a report of these findings in early 2006.

Sure Start

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many three and four-year-olds in (a) Staffordshire and (b) Tamworth constituency are receiving (i) 12.5 , (ii) 15 and (iii) 20 hours a week free early-years education.

Beverley Hughes: Information is not collected in the form requested.
	All four-year-olds have been entitled to a free early education place since 1998 and from April 2004 this entitlement was extended to all three-year-olds. The free entitlement consists of a minimum of five two and a half hour sessions per week for 33 weeks of the year for six terms before statutory school age, which is the term following their fifth birthday.
	Some local authorities may additionally offer subsidised child care places but this information is not collected centrally.
	Figures for January 2005 show that all four-year-old children receive some form of free entitlement. The figure for three-year-olds is 96 per cent. This covers all maintained, private, voluntary and independent providers and represents 535,100 three-year-olds and 568,300 four-year-olds.
	In January 2005 in Staffordshire local authority there were 6,700 free nursery places taken up by three-year-old children. The equivalent figure for four year olds was 8,400. Information for private and voluntary providers is not currently available for Tamworth constituency in 2005.
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release 43/2005 "Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2005 (final)" in September, which is available on my Department's website http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000604/index.shtml.

Agricultural Shows

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many agricultural shows she has visited in 2005.

Jim Knight: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, visited one agricultural show this year.

Discovering Lost Ways Project

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate was made by the Countryside Agency, at the time of setting up the Discovering Lost Ways Project, of the distance in kilometres of (a) footpath, (b) bridleway and (c) byway open to all traffic which would need (i) correcting and (ii) adding to the definitive map before it could be considered accurate and complete.

Jim Knight: A study commissioned by the Countryside Agency and the Countryside Council for Wales to identify the size of the potential task of recording lost ways, by reporting on the progress made in bringing the definitive map and statement up to date; and estimate how many unrecorded rights of way are likely to be brought onto the definitive map, reported in March 2002. 70 highway authorities (of 136) responded to the research questionnaire. 20 per cent. of the authorities that responded to the consultation had undertaken structured assessments of the extent of unrecorded rights. Based on these estimates, the report concluded that the number of unrecorded rights in England was likely to be in the region of 20,000. The estimate for the length of additional unrecorded rights was 16,000 km. It was estimated that 58 per cent. of that increase would be in the form of footpaths (9,300 km), 25 per cent. would be bridleways (4,000 km), and the remaining 17 per cent. (2,700 km) would be byways.

Freedom of Information

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many freedom of information applications her Department has received since 2000; how many have taken more than 20 days to process; and how many of these gave rise to complaints about the time taken.

Jim Knight: As is shown in the monitoring reports published by the Department for Constitutional Affairs (http://www.foi.gov.uk/statsapr-jun05.htm), the Department logged 520 requests for information since the Freedom of Information Act came into force on 1 January 2005 to 30 June 2005. Of these requests, 187 took longer than 20 working days, although the majority (101) were subject to formal extensions. The Department has received four formal requests for internal review of the length of time taken to respond.
	The Department for Constitutional Affairs is committed to publishing quarterly updates in relation to departmental performance under FOI, including information on both the volume and outcomes of requests. The bulletin for the second quarter was published on 30 September 2005 and can be found, together with the bulletin for the first quarter, on the DCA website at http://www.foi.gov.uk/statsapr-jun05.htm and in the Libraries of both Houses. The next bulletin will be published before Christmas, while an annual report will be published in early 2006.

Maladministration

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many payments for maladministration have been made by (a) her Department, (b) its agencies, (c) its non-departmental public bodies and (d) other bodies for which her Department has responsibility in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: It is the policy of DEFRA, its agencies, non-departmental public bodies and, where appropriate, its sponsored organisations to make financial redress in accordance with the guidance set out in Chapter 18.7 and Annexes 18.1 and 18.2 of "Government Accounting".
	However, the information you requested relating to DEFRA's agencies, NDPB's and other bodies sponsored by Defra is not held centrally by the Department and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The information you requested for core DEFRA only is set out in the following table:
	
		DEFRA
		
			  Number of payments made for maladministration 
		
		
			 2001–02 57 
			 2002–03 51 
			 2003–04 15 
			 2004–05 14 
		
	
	DEFRA was created on 8 June 2001, therefore information is only available from financial year 2001–02.

British Nationals (Deaths Overseas)

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British nationals have been killed abroad in unexplained deaths in the last 12 months.

Douglas Alexander: We do not currently collect detailed information on deaths of British Nationals abroad. In financial year 2004–05 there were 3,925 deaths requiring action by our consular staff. These ranged from accidental deaths to natural deaths where we were asked to provide assistance.

Burma

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the United Nations Security Council to empower the Secretary-General to mediate in Burma in order to bring about national reconciliation and a transition to democracy.

Ian Pearson: We agree that the UN has a vital role to play in Burma. We strongly support the UN Secretary-General's efforts to promote national reconciliation and democratisation in Burma, and agree with his most recent 'good offices' report of 10 October. We also support the work of the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma, Professor Sergio Pinheiro, and the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Burma, Tan Sri Razali, who have not been allowed to visit Burma since November 2003 and March 2004 respectively. We also support the efforts of Ali Alatas, who visited Burma on behalf of the UN Secretary-General earlier this year. We urge the State Peace and Development Council to allow free access for the UN Secretary-General's representatives, and to work closely with the UN and its agencies in the interests of lasting peace and inclusive democratic reform in Burma.

Departmental Expenditure

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the Department and its agencies have spent on (a) the design and production of new logos and (b) employing external (i) public relations and (ii) graphic design agencies in each year since 2000, broken down by project.

Ian Pearson: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has spent £18,450 on the production of new logos. We have not employed any external public relations agencies and have spent the following on associated external graphic design agencies since 2000:
	
		
			  Logo £ 
		
		
			 2000 — 0 
			
			 2001 — 0 
			
			 2002 TGi logo 350 
			
			 2003 TGi logo 700 
			  Genie Worldwide logo  
			
			 2004 Temporary Passports logo  
			  Halo logo (widermarkets work for Her Majesty's  Customs and Excise (HMCE) 1/2 1/2 
			  Excise (HMCE) 1/2 
			  CTE logo 5,250 
			  Biometrics logo 1/2 
			  Wider Markets logo 1/2 
			  Your World 1/2 
			  Leadership Conference  
			
			 2005 Mitre logo (wider-markets work for HMCE)  
			  Pluto logo (wider-markets work for HMCE) 1/2 
			  Amigo logo (wider-markets work for HMCE) 1/2 
			  Metro2 logo (widermarkets work for HMCE) 1/2 
			  Talon logo (widermarkets work for HMCE) 12,150 
			  Future Firecrest logo 1/2 
			  Gypsy logo 1/2 
			  Better World 1/2 
			  Antarctic logo

Iran

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of talks with Iran about that country's nuclear ambitions.

Kim Howells: There are no negotiations at present between the E3/EU and Iran. On 5 August 2005, the E3/EU presented a comprehensive proposal for long term arrangements intended to give the international community objective guarantees that Iran's nuclear programme was exclusively for peaceful purposes, while equally providing firm guarantees on nuclear, technological and economic co-operation and firm commitments on security issues. Regrettably, Iran rejected this proposal and resumed uranium conversion activities on 8 August 2005, in violation of the framework for talks it had agreed with the E3/EU. The resolution adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency Board of Governors on 24 September and the discussion at the board's meeting on 24 November have underlined that questions about Iran's nuclear programme remain unresolved. The Secretary-General of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, wrote to the E3/EU on 6 November expressing Iran's interest in resuming talks. In their reply on 27 November, E3 Foreign Ministers and EU High Representative, Javier Solana, expressed the hope that Iran would meet the expectations of the international community and help create conditions that would enable talks to resume. They outlined the European sides willingness to meet to see if a basis for the resumption of negotiations can be agreed.

Iraq

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures are in place to protect his Department's employees in Iraq.

Douglas Alexander: Our staff in Iraq are housed in office and residential accommodation which has been strengthened in line with the demands of the current security situation. All such accommodation is located within protected compounds guarded by armed personnel from a private security company.
	All of our staff are issued with body armour and helmets and attend a surviving hostile regions course before deployment.
	To ensure that our staff are safe when travelling, they are only allowed to travel by air with the Royal Air Force. Staff must travel by road in armoured vehicles, accompanied at all times by armed personnel from another private security company.
	These (protective security) measures are regularly reviewed by local security managers and a London based senior security adviser who visits Iraq on a regular basis.

St. Helena

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 23 November 2005, Official Report, column 2135W, on St. Helena, on which dates (a) the Legislative Council in St. Helena disapplied the UK Freedom of Information Act 2000, (b) the notice of intent to disapply the Act was gazetted and (c) the disapplication became effective.

Ian Pearson: The provisional order was made on 11 January 2005. The order was gazetted on 30 March 2005. The motion to ratify the order was debated and passed by the Legislative Council the week commencing 27 June at which time the disallowance of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 became effective.

St. Helena

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 23 November 2005, Official Report, column 2135W, on St. Helena, what mechanisms are available to enable the Public Solicitor to be available to members of the public in the light of his being retained by the proposed developers, SHELCO; and if he will make a further statement.

Ian Pearson: The terms of reference of the Public Solicitor require him to provide independent legal advice to members of the public and entities registered on St. Helena. Consistent with his terms of reference, he accepted instruction to act for the proposed developers SHELCO. He now cannot accept instruction from another party to oppose SHELCO. The public on St. Helena are familiar with the position that, should the Public Solicitor be unable to help them, they may seek the help of a lay advocate. There is a small fund which allows lay advocates to seek the advice of a UK solicitor if necessary.

Terrorist Suspects

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to ascertain whether flights being used for the extraordinary rendition of suspected terrorists to countries that practise torture are making use of UK airports.

Ian Pearson: The Government are aware of media allegations about "extraordinary rendition" operations allegedly conducted by the United States (US) authorities. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has written to the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, on behalf of EU partners.

Uganda

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to support planned multiparty elections in Uganda in 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 1 December 2005
	The UK welcomed the decision of the Ugandan people, in their referendum of 28 July, to endorse the re-introduction of a multi-party political system. On 18 November the UK, as EU Presidency, issued a statement making clear our concerns regarding the recent arrest of the opposition leader, Dr. Kiiza Besigye. It is important that all parties are able, and are seen to be able, to compete freely and fairly in the 2006 elections.
	The UK is an active member of the Kampala based Partners for Democracy Group, which co-ordinates international support for the political transition in Uganda. The Department for International Development has provided £600,000 to the donor funded Election Support Unit and has also committed £400,000 to the national civic education programme. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is currently funding a project to help build capacity in all Uganda's major political parties as they prepare for the 2006 elections.

Departmental Estate

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which buildings and sites used by his Department and related agencies (a) have ceased to be used in the last year and (b) will be closed under current plans for relocation.

Alan Johnson: In the last year, the Department has vacated its accommodation in Elizabeth House, York Road, London SE1; 10–18 Victoria Street, London SW1; 4 Abbey Orchard Street, London SW1. In the next 12 months, the Department plans to vacate its accommodation in Oxford House, Oxford Street, London WC1 and two floors of 151 Buckingham Palace, London SW1.

Domestic Electricity Charges

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost of electricity to customers was in England in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Wicks: Estimates of average annual domestic electricity bills in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are published in Table 2.2.2 in the DTI's "Quarterly Energy Prices", which can be found on the following website: www.dti.gov.uk/energy/inform/energy prices/index.shtml.

Energy Definitions

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what definition he uses of (a) fuel poverty and (b) net importation of energy.

Malcolm Wicks: Fuel poverty is defined as the need for a household to spend more than 10 per cent. of its income on all fuel use and to heat its home to an adequate standard of warmth (21C in the living room and 18C in other occupied rooms). There are some minor differences in definition used across the devolved Administrations, and these are set out in "The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy of November 2001".
	Net trade in energy is defined as the total quantity of fuels exported less total quantity of fuels imported. There is a net importation of energy when the total quantity imported exceeds the total quantity exported.
	The units of energy used by the Department are expressed in million tonnes of oil equivalent which is a measure of the energy content of the individual fuels. The conversion allows different energy sources to be compared and combined. Quantities of imports and exports are converted from their original units of measurement to tonnes of oil equivalent using weighted gross calorific values and standard conversion factors appropriate to the individual fuel.

Gas

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the average beach gas availability from the UK continental shelf for winter (a) 2005–06, (b) 2006–07 and (c) 2007–08.

Malcolm Wicks: There are currently no publicly available figures estimating UKCS availability for the years 2006–07 and 2007–08. An estimate of beach gas availability for this winter (2005–06) by National Grid, the network operator, can be found at: http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/temp/ofgem/cache/cmsattach/12493_ 21405.pdf.
	Uncertainties regarding facility and equipment reliability, reservoir performance and the weather make availability of beach gas estimates highly complex, and subject to variation.

Law Firms (Service Claims)

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  if he will break down by law firm the number of service claims made (a) as a total for each firm and (b) as a percentage of their case holding;
	(2)  if he will break down by law firm the number of group three denials that have been overturned (a) as a total for each firm and (b) as a percentage of their case holding.

Malcolm Wicks: A table containing the information requested in (a) and (b) has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Nuclear Fission

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much public money has been earmarked for investment in future nuclear fission development; and how much of that money is expected to be spent on the Generation IV Scheme.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 1 December 2005
	DTI has allocated £10 million, £5 million in 2006–07 and £5 million in 2007–08, to support UK involvement in international research on advanced nuclear energy systems. Much of this is expected to fund UK research on Generation IV systems for potential international deployment from around 2030; the exact amount will depend on the mix of research proposals that are submitted. The initiative will support UK skills needed to keep open the nuclear energy option and our capability to keep abreast of international developments and inform UK policy development.
	The Research Councils have allocated £6 million to a consortium for research to "Keep the Nuclear Option Open" which commenced in October 2005 for four years (of which a small element will focus on Generation IV technologies). EPSRC intends to award up to £5 million to support an Engineering Doctorate Centre in Nuclear Skills, which will have a first intake of students in autumn 2006, and in May 2005 awarded £l million for a masters level training package—the Nuclear Technology Education Consortium (NTEC).

Overseas Trade

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total value of UK trade with (a) India, (b) China, (c) the EU, (d) the USA and (e) Russia and the former Eastern bloc countries was in each year since 1995.

Ian Pearson: The figures requested are shown in the following tables.
	
		Exports of goods and services £ billion
		
			  India China EU25* USA Russia 
		
		
			 1995 2.1 1.0 111.2 28.5 1.2 
			 1996 2.1 1.0 120.3 33.1 1.3 
			 1997 2.1 1.1 121.9 35.2 1.6 
			 1998 1.7 1.2 124.7 36.3 1.4 
			 1999 2.0 1.7 130.5 41.5 0.8 
			 2000 2.6 1.9 144.5 48.2 1.1 
			 2001 2.5 2.3 148.6 48.0 1–3 
			 2002 2.4 2.2 149.8 49.9 1.5 
			 2003 3.0 2.8 148.6 50.9 2.1 
			 2004 3.0 3.4 150.8 51.3 2.3 
		
	
	
		Imports of goods and services £ billion
		
			  India China EU25(10) USA Russia 
		
		
			 1995 1.7 2.0 115.4 28.4 1.2 
			 1996 2.0 2.3 125.0 32.6 1.4 
			 1997 2.0 2.5 125.8 34.4 1.6 
			 1998 1.9 3.0 130.4 36.2 1.6 
			 1999 2.1 3.7 141.0 36.9 1.5 
			 2000 2.3 5.1 151.8 41.4 1.7 
			 2001 2.6 6.2 162.9 42.9 2.3 
			 2002 2.6 7.2 174.8 38.2 2.2 
			 2003 2.9 8.8 178.3 36.2 2.7 
			 2004 3.3 10.9 182.6 35.6 3.9 
		
	
	(10) European Union figures cover current member states, except that 1995–98 figures exclude Cyprus and Malta.
	Notes:
	1. Since some of the former Eastern bloc countries are now in the European Union, the final column only gives figures for Russia.
	2. Figures are shown on a balance of payments basis at current prices.
	Source:
	UK Balance of Payments "Pink Book" 2005, Table 9.3

Protection of Trading Interests Act

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the operation of the Protection of Trading Interests Act 1980.

Ian Pearson: The Protection of Trading Interests Act (PTIA) was enacted in 1980 to counter US assertions of extraterritorial jurisdiction in the late 1970s. The PTIA was modified in 1996 by an order under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972 in order to give effect to Council Regulation (EC) 22717 96, otherwise known as the EU Blocking Statute, which prohibits compliance with the US embargo on Cuba. Although the PTIA was introduced as a defence against US extraterritorial attempts to assert its jurisdiction, the Act does not relate specifically to the US and can be invoked against any third country attempting to assert extraterritorial jurisdiction in the UK.
	Three orders have been made under section 1 of the PTIA:
	Protection of Trading Interests (US Re-export Control) Order 1982 (SI 1982/885);
	Protection of Trading Interests (US Antitrust Measures) Order 1983 (SI 1983/900);
	Protection of Trading Interests (US Cuban Assets Control Regulations) Order 1992(811992/2449).
	There has also been one order made under section 5, the Protection of Trading Interests (Australian Trade Practices) Order 1988 (SI 1988/569).
	However, its terms have not been invoked since the introduction of the EU Blocking Statue in 1996, and in recent years the role of the PTIA has shifted from a means of enforcement to that of a deterrent.

UK Trade and Investment

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) employees and (b) consultants working for (i) UK Trade and Investment and (ii) each regional development agency are working overseas, broken down by (A) city and (B) country.

Ian Pearson: I have placed a table in the Libraries of the House that sets out information on people working for UK Trade and Investment overseas using Foreign and Commonwealth Office figures for the current financial year. In this table UK Trade and Investment's operations are shown broken down by market—normally an individual country—and by the location of the individual posts within the market concerned. As regards personnel, UK Trade and Investment is a joint Department of Trade and Industry and Foreign and Commonwealth Office organisation, and is not an employer in its own right. Consequently it has no employees of its own. The majority of people deployed on its overseas operations are either staff of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, who are sent abroad on diplomatic terms and conditions (and referred to in the tables which follow as "UK-based"), or locally-engaged employees of the embassy, high commission or consulate general in question (referred to in the tables which follow as "LE"). There is no centrally held data on consultants engaged overseas, and acquiring it separately from each FCO Post overseas would involve disproportionate cost.
	Regional Development Agencies
	
		Advantage West Midlands
		
			
			 Country Town Staff/consultants (FTE) 
		
		
			 Australia Melbourne 0.5 (Consultant) 
			 Belgium  1 
			 France  1 
			 Germany  1 
			 India  0.25 (consultant) 
			 Japan  1 
			 North America  Corporation  British Midlands Development employees 
			  Boston ½ 
			  San Jose ½ 
			  Washington DC ½ 
			  Chicago 1 1/5 
			 Sweden  1 (consultant) 
		
	
	Note:
	FTE=Full-time equivalent
	East of England Development Agency (EEDA)
	The East of England Developments Agency EEDA has an inward investment office in San Jose (Silicon Valley) a joint project between EEDA and Invest East of England. There are no representatives as the office is co-ordinated by the vice-president for business development at Invest East of England.
	EEDA also subscribes to the East of England partnership office in Brussels and the Essex and East of England International Trade office in Jiangsu Province China (but does not have offices or representatives).
	
		East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA)
		
			 Country Town Staff (FTE) 
		
		
			 Australia Sydney 1 (shared with AWM) 
			 Germany Munich 1 part-time consultant 
			 India  1 shared with AWM 
			 Japan  2 shared with AWM 
			 North America  7 shared with AWM (see town list above) 
			 Sweden  1 part-time consultant 
		
	
	Note:
	FTE=Full-time equivalent
	London Development Agency (LDA)
	LDA has no overseas offices.
	North West Development Agency (NMDA)
	The North West Development Agency has an office with two members of staff (one full time and one part time) in Japan.
	As part of a North of England collaboration (a joint venture with One NorthEast and Yorkshire Forward) there are offices in Australia (Sydney) (one person—consultant on three year contract) and North America: Chicago (six people), Boston (two people), Atlanta (two person) and Los Angeles: (two person full time and one person part time).
	The NWDA with the North West Regional Assembly (NWRA) jointly fund an office and two members of staff in Brussels.
	
		One NorthEast
		
			 Country Town Staff (FTE) 
		
		
			 Japan Tokyo/Osaka 2.5 
			 China Shanghai 3 
			 South Korea Seoul 0.5 
		
	
	
		South East England Development Agency
		
			 Country Town Staff (FTE) 
		
		
			 Japan Osaka 1 
			  Tokyo 1 
			 South Korea Seoul 1 
			 China Shanghai 1 
			 USA Boston 1 
			  Orange County 1 
			 Australia Sydney 1 
			 Belgium Brussels 2.6 
		
	
	
		South West of England Regional Development Agency (SWRDA)
		
			 Country Town Staff (FTE) 
		
		
			 Japan Tokyo 2 staff and 2 consultants 
			 China Shenzhen 2 consultants 
			 Australia Melbourne 1 consultant 
			 USA Boston 1 staff member 
			 USA San Francisco 1 staff member 
		
	
	
		Yorkshire Forward
		
			 Country Town Staff 
		
		
			 China Hangzhou 2 
			 Japan Tokyo 4 
			 USA Chicago/Atlanta/Boston/LA 12 
			 Australia Sydney 1 consultant 
		
	
	Note:
	FTE=Full-time equivalent
	The staff in Japan/USA and Australia all represent the North of England, not just Yorkshire Forward.